Trailers are commonly used for a wide variety of applications, such as house trailers and boat trailers. Trailers generally include a trailer hitch housing which extends longitudinally from the front end of the trailer. A trailer hitch housing typically includes a female coupling element defined by a surrounding metallic housing. The trailer hitch housing also generally includes a flanged portion extending outwardly from exterior portions of the longitudinal end portion of the trailer hitch housing which extends away from the trailer. While trailer hitch housings may have a variety of shapes and sizes due to the type and anticipated load requirements of the trailer, the longitudinal end portion of most trailer hitch housings, including the outwardly extending flange portion, of most trailer hitch housings are generally fairly similar, if not identical, among a large number of trailers.
A trailer is conventionally hitched to a vehicle by raising the trailer hitch housing to a height which slightly exceeds the height of a corresponding male hitch, typically a ball-shaped hitch, that is mounted to or extends from the rear bumper of the vehicle. The driver of the vehicle can then back the vehicle toward the trailer while attempting to locate the hitch as near as possible to the female coupling element of the trailer hitch housing. However, the hitch and the trailer hitch housing and, in particular, the female coupling element of the trailer hitch housing cannot normally be seen by the driver during at least the final phase of the backing movement. Since the hitch and the trailer hitch housing are out of sight during the final phase of the backing movement, the driver may periodically stop the vehicle, walk behind the vehicle and observe the relative position of the hitch and the trailer hitch housing prior to further backing the vehicle. In order to properly align the hitch with the female coupling element of the trailer hitch housing, the driver may be required to stop the vehicle several times to observe the relative positions of the hitch and the trailer hitch housing, thereby frustrating the driver.
In other instances, the driver of the vehicle can be guided by a spotter who stands in position to view both the vehicle's hitch and the trailer hitch housing. The spotter advises the driver, such as by hand signals or shouted advice, as to further movement which should be taken in order to properly align the hitch and the female coupling element of the trailer hitch housing. For example, the spotter may advise the driver to back the vehicle to the right or to the left relative to the trailer hitch housing in order to properly align the hitch and the trailer hitch housing. Even with the assistance of a spotter, however, the alignment of the hitch with the trailer hitch housing can be a time consuming and frustrating experience.
Notwithstanding these precautions, such as periodically stopping the vehicle and observing the relative positions of the hitch and the trailer hitch housing or such as employing a spotter to advise the driver of further backing movements, the driver of the vehicle oftentimes continues to back the vehicle until the outwardly extending flanged portion of the trailer hitch housing contacts the bumper of the vehicle. For example, the spotter may fail to advise the driver to halt the vehicle until a time at which the driver is unable to halt backing operations prior to contacting the outwardly extending flange portion of the trailer hitch housing. Alternatively, a driver who has previously observed the relative positions of the hitch and the trailer hitch housing may improperly judge the remaining distance therebetween upon resuming backing operations such that the vehicle may contact the trailer hitch housing.
While the contact between the bumper of the vehicle and the outwardly extending flange portion of the trailer hitch housing informs the driver of the vehicle that the hitch is aligned with or at least in the vicinity of the female coupling element of the trailer hitch housing, the contact also inevitably creates a dent or scratch in the bumper of the vehicle. Over time, and following repeated trailer hitch coupling operations, a number of dents or scratches can be created in the bumper due to repeated contact between the bumper of the vehicle and the outwardly extending flange portion of the trailer hitch housing. These dents and scratches not only are unattractive, but the dents and scratches also decrease the value of the vehicle.
The amount by which such dents and scratches decrease the value of the vehicle has rapidly increased in recent years as the price of the vehicles which commonly tow trailers has risen. For example, sport utility vehicles which are oftentimes tow trailers can typically cost upwards of $20,000 and, in many instances, upwards of $30,000. Accordingly, the cost of repairing or replacing a scratched and dented bumper of such sport utility vehicles is also relatively expensive.
Due, at least in part, to the increasing cost of the vehicles which tow trailers, the owners of the vehicles have begun to retain or drive the vehicles for a longer period of time prior to reselling the vehicles and purchasing a new or a different vehicle. In turn, this increases the total number of dents and scratches which the bumper accumulates over the extended period of time in which the owner drives the same vehicle and tows trailers therewith. Accordingly, while the vehicle may have originally been relatively expensive, the vehicle can have a bumper with increased numbers of dents and scratches, therefore decreasing the attractiveness and value of the vehicle.
The problem of bumper dents from trailers has been addressed in varying manners in an attempt to minimize the resultant bumper damage. In particular, various methods have been proposed to facilitate the coupling of a trailer hitch housing to a hitch. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,170 to Joseph Lanni, et al which issued Jan. 29, 1991 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,080,386 to Joseph Lazar which issued Jan. 14, 1992. These trailer coupling devices are relatively complex, however, and require a number of components to be mounted either to the vehicle or to the trailer hitch housing.
In addition, a hitch guard is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,012,797 to Jack F. Manting which issued Dec. 12, 1961 and is assigned to Manting Tool and Die Company. The hitch guard is adapted for attachment by a hitch to a rear bumper of a vehicle. The hitch guard includes an upwardly extending generally U-shaped rod connected to a baseplate which can be connected about the hitch. The U-shaped hitch guard is configured to receive the longitudinal end portion of the trailer hitch housing while preventing the hitch from various unintended contacts with other vehicles. For example, the hitch guard of the Manting '797 patent protects the hitch from unintended contact with another vehicle during parking or pushing of the vehicle. Accordingly, the hitch guard protects the hitch, but not necessarily the bumper from inadvertent damage.
Finally, German Patent No. DE 3233813 to Gunter Biedenbach discloses a plastic covered foam pad for protecting a vehicle bumper. As disclosed in the German patent, the plastics covered foam pad can be mounted to a vehicle bumper, such as by plastic clips, in order to protect the bumper. However, the plastic covered foam pad of the Biedenbach '813 patent can remain affixed to the vehicle bumper, thereby also potentially harming the appearance of the vehicle. In addition, a trailer owner may have several vehicles with which to tow the trailer. In order to protect each of the vehicles' bumpers according to the Biedenbach '813 patent, the trailer owner must mount a plastics covered foam pad on each of the vehicles or shift the plastics covered foam pad from vehicle to vehicle so that the foam pad is mounted on the particular vehicle which is going to tow the trailer at any particular time.